Tom Stephenson, who spent much of his childhood exploring the Westside and later years ranching or surveying the open lands around the Rocky Mountains, has just published a book of short stories drawing on his experience.
“Cow Tracks in the Southern Rockies” is the title. The 230-page work is broken out into four fictional stories, each one set in a different locale of the West (Mexico, Wyoming, New
Mexico and Colorado's South Park).
“I know those areas I'm writing about really well,” said Stephenson, now 80. “I've had to change the names of a river or railroad here and there for the story, but hopefully it's
entertaining.” He said his heroes are not the do-no-wrong type found in some books. Rather, he's trying to portray the kinds of people he's known in his day - “lonely, hardworking, honest men that may have their faults, but are
truly good men, though without much change in their Levi pockets.”
Copies of “Cow Tracks” are currently available through the family by calling 576-0502. The cost is $20 shipped or $15 if picked up.
T
he book was published locally by Impavide Publications.
Stephenson talked about his life in a Sept. 9, 2004 “In Their Own Words” interview in the Westside Pioneer